Hello fellow Canadians! Now that Nordstrom and Saks have finally arrived, where do you prefer to shop and why? I'd love to hear about your experiences, positive and negative. As for myself, I'm going to share a rather lengthy tale of two retailers.
I was a loyal Holts customer for decades as we had no other options until recently and I was lucky enough to find a few wonderful SAs and shopped with them over the years. They always informed me of promos and presales, and I usually got what I wanted/needed.
When Nordstrom first opened in Van, I didn't go to the store for many months, assuming if my retail therapy and customer service needs were being met at Holts, then I didn't need another luxury retailer especially if they were carrying more or less the same brands.
Boy, was I wrong. Nordies' customer service takes it to another level. Every SA that I've met or spoken to by phone was friendly, courteous, and helpful. In the store, I'm always greeted by an SA and promptly offered assistance whether or not I have items in my hand or look a little lost. By contrast at Holts, unless I'm shopping with one of my regular SAs, I either get ignored or receive half-hearted offers to help but only if I'm holding a bunch of things to try. Now, I understand why our American neighbours consistently rave about Nordies' customer service.
The clincher for me is how each store is handling their current F/W designer presales. I visited my Nordies SA to try on a bunch of shoes and made a shortlist in case they go on sale. As soon as the presale list was available, she texted me to advise that none of the shoes I wanted was being marked down but she would keep an eye out for similar styles.
That same day, I visited one of my regular Holts SAs, knowing Holts would follow Nordies' steps and launch their presale at the same time. My SA seemed to be acting a bit strange, almost aloof, when we normally have lots to chat and laugh about. After I tried several pairs and confirmed with her that they're on the presale list, she told me she couldn't hold them for me until the presale next week. If they weren't sold this weekend, she would presell them to me. But I said I knew the presale had already started because I saw other customers around me picking shoes and giving their cc#. She then said those customers are in the top tier of the Holts loyalty program and are getting early access to the presale and this was a new store policy. A bit of an awkward moment but she was just doing her job and I wasn't bold enough to ask her to speak to a manager and try to make an exception, like I overheard another shopper attempt to do. I'm in the 2nd tier and there is probably a big gap between 1st and 2nd.
Now, I do understand how loyalty programs work and why stores choose to reward their best customers but with Nordstrom as a formidable competitor and Saks looming on the Vancouver horizon, I realize that I no longer need to stay loyal to Holts. I have a growing number of better options. Maybe eventually, Nordstrom presales will also be tiered just as they are in the US, but for now, I'll shop at the store where promos and sales are offered in a more egalitarian format and where I'll have a better chance at nabbing what I want.
Anyway, I ran back to Nordies right away and got my lovely SA to check a few more pairs. She even used their handheld scanner to double check prices and eventually found me some boots that were going on sale but hadn't been included on the presale list yet. Now that's great customer service!
I was a loyal Holts customer for decades as we had no other options until recently and I was lucky enough to find a few wonderful SAs and shopped with them over the years. They always informed me of promos and presales, and I usually got what I wanted/needed.
When Nordstrom first opened in Van, I didn't go to the store for many months, assuming if my retail therapy and customer service needs were being met at Holts, then I didn't need another luxury retailer especially if they were carrying more or less the same brands.
Boy, was I wrong. Nordies' customer service takes it to another level. Every SA that I've met or spoken to by phone was friendly, courteous, and helpful. In the store, I'm always greeted by an SA and promptly offered assistance whether or not I have items in my hand or look a little lost. By contrast at Holts, unless I'm shopping with one of my regular SAs, I either get ignored or receive half-hearted offers to help but only if I'm holding a bunch of things to try. Now, I understand why our American neighbours consistently rave about Nordies' customer service.
The clincher for me is how each store is handling their current F/W designer presales. I visited my Nordies SA to try on a bunch of shoes and made a shortlist in case they go on sale. As soon as the presale list was available, she texted me to advise that none of the shoes I wanted was being marked down but she would keep an eye out for similar styles.
That same day, I visited one of my regular Holts SAs, knowing Holts would follow Nordies' steps and launch their presale at the same time. My SA seemed to be acting a bit strange, almost aloof, when we normally have lots to chat and laugh about. After I tried several pairs and confirmed with her that they're on the presale list, she told me she couldn't hold them for me until the presale next week. If they weren't sold this weekend, she would presell them to me. But I said I knew the presale had already started because I saw other customers around me picking shoes and giving their cc#. She then said those customers are in the top tier of the Holts loyalty program and are getting early access to the presale and this was a new store policy. A bit of an awkward moment but she was just doing her job and I wasn't bold enough to ask her to speak to a manager and try to make an exception, like I overheard another shopper attempt to do. I'm in the 2nd tier and there is probably a big gap between 1st and 2nd.
Now, I do understand how loyalty programs work and why stores choose to reward their best customers but with Nordstrom as a formidable competitor and Saks looming on the Vancouver horizon, I realize that I no longer need to stay loyal to Holts. I have a growing number of better options. Maybe eventually, Nordstrom presales will also be tiered just as they are in the US, but for now, I'll shop at the store where promos and sales are offered in a more egalitarian format and where I'll have a better chance at nabbing what I want.
Anyway, I ran back to Nordies right away and got my lovely SA to check a few more pairs. She even used their handheld scanner to double check prices and eventually found me some boots that were going on sale but hadn't been included on the presale list yet. Now that's great customer service!
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